Why Can’t I Focus?

Experts
and
doctors
agree:
America
has
an
attention
problem.
It's
harder
than
ever
for
us
to
stay
focused
on
our
work,
check
to-dos
off
our
lists,
and
finish
extended
tasks
that
demand
serious
time
and
effort.

Have
you
ever
sat
down
at
your
desk,
determined
to
wrap
up
a
project,
and
stood
up
two
hours
later
with
no
idea
where
the
time
went?
Half
an
hour
scrolling
through
Facebook,
a
couple
of
minutes
here
and
there
to
check
your
email,
a
few
daydreaming
sessions-before
you
know
it,
you
have
nothing
to
show
for
the
whole
afternoon.

A
few
years
ago,
researchers
estimated
that
the
average
human
attention
span
now
hovers
around
7-8
seconds,
even
shorter
than
a
goldfish.
Although
this
factoid
was
a
bit
of
an
exaggeration,
it
came
to
emblemize
the
frustration
that
many
people
feel.
Our
limited
attention
spans
are
impairing
our
ability
to
engage
with
the
world
around
us
in
deep,
satisfying
ways.
Many
adults
report
difficulty
with
extended,
intensely
focal
tasks
like
reading
a
book
or
cooking
a
fancy
meal.

In
the
perpetually
connected
world
of
smartphones,
endless
social
media
posts,
hyperactive
video
games,
24-hour
news
cycles,
and
web
articles
full
of
hyperlinks,
staying
focused
on
a
single
task
can
feel
almost
impossible.
Along
with
this
wealth
of
information
comes
poverty
of
attention.

If
you
struggle
to
stay
on
task,
there
are
ways
to
improve
your
concentration
and
cultivate
a
more
productive
lifestyle.
Read
on
to
learn
some
practical,
concrete
strategies
that
will
help
you
eliminate
distractions,
build
efficient
habits,
and
focus
on
what
matters
most
to
you.

Source:
rawpixel.com

Why
Is
It
So
Hard
To
Focus?

While
it's
easy
to
blame
technology
for
all
our
modern
problems,
human
beings
have
been
struggling
to
pay
attention
for
as
long
as
there
have
been
boring
books
and
drowsy
university
lectures.

To
understand
our
modern
concentration
woes,
it's
important
to
pay
some
attention
to
the
ways
that
our
brains
have
changed
over
the
past
few
millennia.
For
survival
purposes,
our
ancient
ancestors
needed
to
pay
close
attention
to
anything
that
moved
quickly
or
seemed
unfamiliar.
The
reasons
for
this
concentration
were
simple.
If
something
was
fast,
it
could
kill
you.
If
it
was
new,
it
could
be
dangerous.

But
in
today's
breakneck
world
of
technology
and
information,
each
day
exposes
us
to
thousands
of
distractions
that
meet
both
of
those
criteria.
Think
about
all
the
things
that
arrest
your
attention
every
day:
the
engaging
animations
on
a
television
commercial,
the
burst
of
loud
conversation
in
a
restaurant,
the
constant
alerts
lighting
up
your
mobile
phone
screen.

All
these
things
are
new,
and
most
of
them
move
quickly.
In
the
past,
they
would
have
been
exciting
and
engaging
to
our
brains.
Now,
they're
just
another
blip
on
our
mental
radar.

Human
beings
apply
different
levels
of
attention
and
concentration,
depending
on
the
situation
at
hand.
Our
most
fulfilling,
enjoyable
tasks
are
the
ones
that
require
the
most
intense
concentration
and
single-minded
attention.
They
require
that
we
sit
still,
tuck
away
the
distractions,
and
think
quietly
for
long
enough
to
dissect
and
address
a
complicated
problem.

Put
simply,
the
activities
that
offer
the
most
rewards-activities
like
digesting
a
complex
memo
at
work,
navigating
a
difficult
personal
conversation,
or
solving
a
tricky
equation-demand
absolute
focus.
The
only
problem?
That's
just
not
our
natural
state,
and
our
ancient
brains
still
haven't
fully
adapted
to
that
shift.

Source:
rawpixel.com

Find
An
Accountability
Partner

Your
first
step
to
better
focus?
Never
underestimate
the
power
of
mutual
responsibility.
Find
someone
who
can
hold
you
accountable
for
your
daily
tasks,
then
make
them
your
partner
in
productivity.

Try
emailing
your
to-do
list
to
a
trusted
friend
at
the
beginning
of
the
day,
then
email
them
at
the
end
of
the
day
to
let
them
know
what
you
have
finished.
Or
just
talk
through
your
workday
with
your
spouse
over
breakfast,
then
review
everything
you
managed
to
complete
while
you
set
the
table
for
dinner.

Knowing
that
you
will
need
to
account
for
your
activities
at
the
end
of
the
day
can
give
you
the
motivation
to
push
through
challenging
tasks,
even
when
they
seem
fruitless.

Get
Enough
Sleep

This
can't
be
emphasized
enough:
if
you
want
to
feel
and
perform
your
best,
then
you
need
to
spend
plenty
of
time
between
the
sheets.
You'll
be
amazed
at
the
immediate
difference
it
makes.

In
clinical
trial
after
clinical
trial,
sleep
researchers
have
found
that
sleep
deprivation
erodes
alertness
and
destroys
concentration.
It
is
far
more
difficult
to
pay
attention
to
important
executive
tasks-think
to
pull
together
a
budget
or
to
compose
a
presentation-when
you're
struggling
to
keep
your
eyes
open
and
remember
whether
you
unplugged
the
toaster
oven.
Advanced
logical
reasoning
and
problem
solving
cease
to
exist.

If
the
phrase
"sleep
deprivation"
sounds
more
like
a
form
of
exotic
torture
than
something
we
deal
with
every
day,
remember
that
the
average
American
adult
gets
around
6
hours
of
rest
each
night,
significantly
less
than
the
7
to
9
hours
that
most
experts
recommend.
Those
daily
lost
hours
add
up
to
hundreds
of
missed
opportunities.

Source:
rawpixel.com

So
don't
treat
venti
lattes
and
midafternoon
sweet
treats
as
a
substitute
for
rest.
Tuck
in
early
and
get
out
of
bed
the
moment
that
you
wake
up.
Establish
consistent,
stable
sleep
patterns,
and
don't
deviate
from
them
unless
you
have
a
good
reason
to
do
so.
You'll
notice
almost
immediately
that
it
is
much
easier
to
stay
motivated,
focused,
and
productive
throughout
the
workday.

Focus
On
A
Single
Thing

If
you've
ever
complained
about
a
lack
of
focus
in
public,
you
have
probably
been
told
to
try
meditation.
Many
people
try
this
ancient
mental
practice
but
quickly
become
discouraged
by
its
perceived
difficulty.
This
misconception
usually
arises
because
we
have
an
incomplete
or
improper
understanding
of
what
this
powerful
habit
genuinely
looks
like.

At
some
point,
you
have
probably
heard
that
meditating
means
"emptying
the
mind"
or
"just
not
thinking
about
anything."
This
is
only
partially
true.
Meditation
does
require
practitioners
to
clear
away
distractions
and
streamline
their
thought
process,
but
its
ultimate
goal
is
not
to
stifle
all
mental
activity.

Instead,
a
healthy
meditation
practice
focuses
on
a
single
object
or
sensation.
This
target
is
usually
quite
simple:
a
repetitive
mantra,
a
style
of
breathing,
a
physical
motion,
or
even
a
short
musical
tune.
Try
focusing
on
that
single
mental
image
or
action
for
one
minute,
then
five
minutes,
then
fifteen.
Experiment
with
a
few
different
target
sensations.
You
will
be
surprised
how
naturally
and
instinctively
the
habit
develops
once
you
find
the
right
direction.

Notice
your
mind
wandering?
Don't
give
up
immediately
or
assume
that
your
session
was
a
failure.
Temporary
distraction
is
simply
a
signal
to
gently
but
firmly
direct
your
mind
back
to
the
object
of
your
meditation.
Let
the
new
thought
pass
through
your
mind,
but
don't
follow
it.
You'll
be
able
to
return
to
it
later
when
your
mind
is
refreshed
and
ready
to
take
on
new
tasks.

Source:
rawpixel.com

Organize
Your
Working
Environment

Humans
are
naturally
self-centered,
so
it
can
be
tempting
to
assume
that
all
our
strengths
and
weaknesses
lie
within
ourselves.
Fortunately,
that
is
not
always
the
case.
A
decision
as
simple
as
simplifying
your
atmosphere
can
completely
revolutionize
your
workflow.

"Simplifying
your
atmosphere"
doesn't
just
mean
removing
all
the
clutter
from
your
desk,
although
physical
distractions
are
a
huge
impediment
to
concentration.
When
psychologists
talk
about
work
distractions,
they
are
usually
referring
to
all
types
of
sensory
clutter.

That
includes
eardrum
blasting
music
in
your
headphones,
loud
conversations
at
the
table
next
to
yours,
tantalizing
smells
from
the
deli
down
the
street,
text
message
alerts
on
your
smartphone,
and
panicky
calls
from
your
parents
and
kids.

You
don't
need
to
ditch
your
laptop
and
retreat
to
the
wilderness
to
leave
all
these
distractions
behind.
You
already
have
almost
complete
control
of
your
environment.
All
you
need
to
do
is
eliminate
the
peskiest
distractions
and
set
up
some
sensible
boundaries
for
your
thought
patterns.

Conduct
a
thorough,
deep
clean
of
your
personal
spaces,
like
the
bedroom,
bathroom,
study,
and
work
desk

Once
you
have
removed
all
that
sensory
clutter,
you
might
be
pleasantly
surprised
by
how
much
cleaner
and
more
spacious
your
mental
landscape
feels.

Source:
rawpixel.com

Squeeze
Out
Your
Stress

When
you're
trying
to
focus,
however,
stillness
and
quiet
aren't
always
the
best
policy.
Some
of
us
are
naturally
kinetic,
movement-oriented
thinkers,
who
work
most
productively
when
their
bodies
are
active
and
engaged.

This
is
one
of
the
reasons
why
fidget
toys
have
recently
become
so
popular.
Fortunately,
they're
not
just
for
kids
in
the
classroom.
Many
adults
benefit
from
a
routine
physical
motion,
which
can
anchor
your
thoughts
and
keep
your
mind
from
straying
away
from
your
task.

Whether
you
use
a
fidget
cube
or
a
spinner,
a
squishy
stress
ball,
a
tube
of
Silly
Putty
or
Play-Doh,
or
some
other
pleasingly
tactile
object,
be
sure
to
choose
something
that
won't
make
loud
noises
or
distract
the
other
people
around
you.
If
you're
working
at
home,
sitting
on
an
exercise
ball,
taking
frequent
"pace
breaks,"
or
doing
yoga
poses
between
tasks
can
help
break
up
the
monotony
and
stimulate
your
creative
juices.

Put
Off
Procrastination

Everyone
knows
that
procrastination
is
the
enemy
of
productivity,
but
sometimes
this
damaging
mental
habit
feels
impossible
to
escape.
Sometimes
this
procrastination
can
even
seem
productive.
Have
you
ever
resorted
to
cleaning
the
bathroom
or
organizing
a
long-neglected
file
folder
to
avoid
an
ominous
deadline?

To
understand
procrastination,
you
need
to
understand
mental
gratification.
Whenever
you
cross
a
finish
line
or
check
off
a
to-do,
your
brain
releases
the
neurotransmitter
dopamine.
It
doesn't
matter
how
big
or
small
the
task
might
be;
the
same
feel-good
chemical
rushes
through
your
body.

Finishing
a
complex,
challenging
task
might
feel
great,
but
so
does
marking
down
smaller
milestones
like
checking
your
email
or
flicking
through
the
daily
news.
If
you
can
get
a
quick
and
easy
mental
"high"
from
completing
those
little
tasks,
then
it
is
not
difficult
to
summon
up
the
concentration
for
a
longer
project.

Source:
rawpixel.com

Don't
try
to
beat
this
system:
use
it
to
your
advantage!
Inserting
regular,
planned
break
times
into
your
routine
will
give
you
something
to
look
forward
to
and
help
you
stay
on
task.

Break
Down
Your
Tasks

All
these
years
later,
it
turns
out
that
Henry
Ford
might
have
known
the
secret
to
extended
focus.
When
speaking
about
his
iconic
automobile
assembly
lines,
Ford
was
famously
quoted
as
saying:
"Nothing
is
particularly
hard
if
you
divide
it
into
small
jobs."

Many
of
us
struggle
with
large,
complicated
projects
because
we
haven't
defined
or
divided
them
intelligently.
We
fall
into
the
mental
trap,
believing
that
it's
useless
to
dedicate
time
to
a
task
if
we
are
not
able
to
finish
it.

For
example,
imagine
that
you
are
trying
to
tackle
a
difficult
academic
assignment.
If
the
note
in
your
planner
just
says
"Write
Paper,"
"Finish
Worksheet"
or
"Solve
Problem,"
then
tackling
such
a
monumental
task
often
seems
impossible.
Most
big
projects
can't
be
finished
in
one
sitting,
but
we
treat
slow
and
steady
progress
like
a
failure.

One
quick
and
effortless
way
to
mitigate
this
issue
is
to
take
Henry
Ford's
old
advice:
divide
the
broader
task
up
into
discrete,
approachable
steps.
Make
these
steps
as
small
as
you
need
them
to
be,
and
don't
worry
about
how
ridiculous
or
absurd
they
seem.
Remember:
no
one
else
will
ever
know
what
they
are.
If
you
are
still
tempted
to
put
off
a
task
or
turn
to
a
distraction,
then
just
break
it
down
into
even
tinier
steps.

Need
to
go
to
the
gym?
Start
by
digging
your
tennis
shoes
out
of
the
closet.
Need
to
get
ahead
before
a
big
meeting?
You
won't
start
anything
unless
you
turn
on
your
computer.
Need
to
compose
a
difficult
letter?
Sharpen
your
pencil
before
you
even
think
about
writing
a
single
word.

Devoting
your
mind
to
these
minute
tasks
in
a
singular,
simplified
fashion
will
help
you
strengthen
your
concentration
muscles
and
rebuild
productive
habits.
It
will
take
time,
but
the
rewards
will
be
immensely
satisfying.
Just
imagine
how
awesome
it
will
feel
to
cross
that
huge
project
off
your
checklist!

Talk
To
An
Expert

If
you're
still
struggling
to
stay
on
task
throughout
the
day,
don't
be
afraid
to
reach
out
and
get
help.
Nobody
knows
habits
and
behaviors
better
than
a
psychologist.
A
mental
health
professional
can
help
you
evaluate
your
daily
routine,
eliminate
unhealthy
patterns,
and
develop
the
motivation
and
concentration
you
need
to
succeed.

Source:
rawpixel.com

The
experienced
web
counselors
at
BetterHelp
also
have
the
tools
and
training
to
help
you
build
healthier
habits
at
work
and
home.
It
may
take
some
searching
and
experimenting,
but
a
more
productive,
pleasurable
work
experience
is
possible.
Before
you
hit
today's
to-do
list,
take
the
time
to
evaluate
the
way
you
work
seriously.
You
won't
regret
it.

The information on this page is not intended to be a substitution for diagnosis, treatment, or informed professional advice. You should not take any action or avoid taking any action without consulting with a qualified mental health professional. For more information, please read our terms of use.

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